PC Gpu throttling randomly within past month. Not gradual

Question

So within the last month or 2. My laptop (Dell Precision 7520) with a Nvidia M2200 has been throttling like crazy, like high temperatures within 2 seconds. Like I used to be able to play minecraft with high fps, but not anymore. I also have a recording of me playing the game around 3 months ago vs now where I get like 120 at times and 30-60 other times. Its so inconsistant. I just don't know why it happened so suddenly without like me doing anything or If i did something.

Answer 1

Nvidia have reported they are investigating problems with their drivers after the last couple of WIndows Updates, the best first option is to completely remove the current Nvidia device driver using the widely available free DDU utility, then restart your PC and go to the Nvidia website to download and install a couple of slightly older versions of the Nvidia device driver to try to find a version that is stable on your system.

Answer 2

It sounds like your laptop's GPU is experiencing thermal throttling, which can occur when the GPU reaches high temperatures and reduces performance to prevent overheating. Here are a few factors that could contribute to this sudden change in performance:

1. Dust and Debris: Over time, dust can accumulate in the cooling vents and fans, restricting airflow and causing the GPU to overheat.
2. Thermal Paste: The thermal paste between the GPU and its cooler may have degraded, reducing its effectiveness in dissipating heat.
3. Environmental Factors: Changes in your environment, such as higher ambient temperatures or reduced airflow, can also affect cooling performance.
4. Workload Changes: If you have installed new software or updates that increase the workload on your GPU, this could lead to higher temperatures and throttling.
5. Power Settings: Ensure that your power settings are optimized for performance rather than power saving, as this can impact how the GPU operates under load.

To troubleshoot:

• Clean the vents and fans to improve airflow.
• Consider reapplying thermal paste if you're comfortable doing so.
• Monitor the temperatures using software tools to see how they correlate with performance drops.
• Check for any recent updates or changes to your system that might have affected performance.

If the issue persists, it may be worth consulting with a professional technician to diagnose any hardware issues.

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References:

• Performance FAQs
• Thermal user experience